RAIPUR:

South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), one of the largest coal-producing subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd, will be developing rooftop and ground mounted solar power projects of 600 MW capacity with investment of Rs 1,000 crore.

Some of these projects would be implemented in RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company)/BOO (Build-Own-Operate) mode. Solar power projects of more than 180 MW are already in various phases of development in the operational areas of SECL spread over Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. It has recently commissioned rooftop solar projects of 580 kWp capacity in Johilla, Jamuna-Kotma and Kusmunda Areas.

At Johilla Area, the commissioned capacity is about 280 kWp which is the highest capacity rooftop solar project in the entire company.  Solar panels have been installed at the Administrative Building GM office, SECL-run Kendriya Vidyalaya, Regional Hospital and at Area’s Guesthouse. The project will generate about 4,20,000 units of electricity  saving about Rs 21 lakh annually in power expenditure, an official communication said.

The largest two solar projects under implementation are of 40 MW capacity each. A 40 MW ground mounted, grid connected solar PV plant is being developed on company’s own land in Bhatgaon and Bishrampur areas located in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district. The project is at execution stage and likely to be commissioned during this fiscal.

Similar project is coming up in Johilla area in Madhya Pradesh. Company has floated a tender for a 4 MW rooftop solar project at Sharda OC mine in Sohagpur Area in Madhya Pradesh. 

Coal India Ltd has set an ambitious target of achieving net-zero status by installing 3,000 MW capacity renewable energy projects by 2026 to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

The SECL contributes around one-fourth of CIL’s total coal production in FY 2022-23.